School Supplies Drive

Our public schools are opening soon (we hope!), and the dire financial straits in which our neighborhood schools find themselves is a major news story. Right now, we’ll leave it to others to place blame and name-call; there are serious long-term problems. Our immediate interest is figuring out how to help our students, who are in the middle of this crisis through no fault of their own.

We can contact our City and State elected officials to tell them how we feel. It’s estimated that every phone call &/or letter represents at least 25 people, (because most people don’t take the time to make contact).

Locally, the new Mt. Airy Schools Coalition (EMAN, WMAN and MAUSA) is working on ways we can help our local public elementary schools (Emlen, A.B. Day, Houston, Henry, Linglebach and Jenks). We have been approved as an Educational Improvement TaxCredit (EITC) organization, and many supportive local businesses have contacted the State about directing a percentage of their State taxes to the effort. We will find out which businesses have been approved (through a lottery) by the end of the month.

In the meantime, we’ve met with the leadership at the schools to see if there are any immediate needs we can meet. And there certainly are, so we’re getting started right away.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES DRIVE

Help Mt. Airy’s neighborhood schools start the year

with the supplies they need!

Drop off your donations now through September 16th at any of the community partners listed below.

With the start of the school year, the Chew & BelfieldNeighbors Club (CBNC) begins its math tutoring program. This program, available free to people ages 7 and up, takes place on Saturday mornings from 10 till noon at the Joseph Coleman Northwest Regional Library (Greene & Chelten). Tutoring starts on September 14th; you can register that morning in person, or starting immediately online (www.chewandbelfield.webs.com) or by phone (215-849-8021).

If math is your strong suit, and you want to be a volunteer teacher, contact our friend Rev. Chester Williams at the number above, or at jesus4620032004@yahoo.com

As in every season, there are lots of activities in the beautiful Wissahickon (go to www.fow.org for a schedule). And we can count on the folks at Walk A Crooked Mile Books ( at the Mt. Airy Train Station) to make sure we are both entertained and well-read! (www.walkacrookedmilebooks.com)

Our partners at Awbury Arboretum are planning some special Fall activities. There’s a “Wild Edible & Medicinal Plant Walk” on September 14th, and a tile workshop with one of our favorite artists, Karen Singer, on the 15th.

If you’re interested in a completely different way to support the Arboretum, there’s a big Flea Market & WhiteElephant Sale coming up on 9/21st from 10 till 2. Vendor tables are available.If your have things to donate, you can do that through the 20th; bring items to the Cope House at the Arboretum. For info about tables, donations, etc., go to the website noted above, or call 215-849-2855, ext. 21.

All donations will support educational programming at Awbury.

“Street Fare” is coming soon! The evening of September 19thwill bring fabulous food trucks, guest artist vendors, live music and more to Germantown Ave. between Sedgwick and Mt. Airy, from 6:00 till 10:30.

Mt. Airy USA, which is organizing the festival, hopes you’ll come to this great neighborhood event. Being good community citizens, they also want to give you a heads-up about the closure of the Avenue (including re-routing of buses), and alert near-neighbors to parking issues that are sure to come with the crowds.

Now that Summer’s over, EMAN’s monthly Community/Boardmeetings will resume on 9/10th. The Board meets in Executive Session at 7:00; the community is welcome to join us at 7:30.

Please stop by if you’re interested in doing more in the community, or in finding out what’s going on, or in meeting neighbors. Our office is located on the campus of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, 7301 Germantown Ave., in the basement of the Wiedemann Bldg. We have a map and directions on our website. (It’s the big grey-ish stone building near the Muhlenberg statue at the main entrance to the campus. It can be a tad tricky to find the entrance to the basement, but please try!)

And, if you’re coming to the meeting & were planning to donate school supplies, you can bring them to the office, and we’ll take it from there.

Your membership in EMAN helps support our activities, morethan only financially. There is strength in numbers, and the larger our membership, the greater our ability to advocate. We hope you’ll join us! You can join using PayPal at our website (http://www.eastmountairy.org/membership.cfm) or download/print a membership form and mail it in.

We look forward to a productive and exciting Autumn in Mt. Airy, and hope to see you at an event or two!

We wish our Jewish friends and neighbors a sweet, healthy, peaceful New Year.